Urgent Royal High School Appeal!

Urgent Royal High School Appeal!

Dear Friends,

As you will know the planning application to turn the former Royal High School, Edinburgh into a hotel was turned down by City of Edinburgh Council in December 2015.  The proponent of the hotel scheme, Duddingston House Properties Limited, has appealed this refusal and the appeal will be heard before two government appointed Reporters over a period of three weeks beginning 28^th November 2016. The final decision will be made by Scottish Ministers.

The AHSS intends to continue the fight to secure a future for the Royal High School, worthy of its category A listing and significance within Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site.  The costs of securing the necessary legal representation to ensure that the Society’s views can be put across to greatest effect will be significant, possibly as much as £50,000.

Substantial philanthropic funding has already been pledged and the Forth & Borders Group will make a major contribution.  It is hoped that individual members of the Society across the whole of Scotland will, collectively, be able to contribute £10,000.  While clearly, large donations to the Society’s legal costs will be greatly appreciated, it is the case, that with a membership of around 1,000, individual contributions of between £10 and £25 would enable the Society, relatively quickly and easily, to achieve the total it seeks.

There can be no doubt as to the significance of the forthcoming Inquiry.  No one can assume that the original City of Edinburgh Council refusal will be upheld, given the importance in planning terms which can now be attributed to the purported economic value of a luxury hotel.  Were Duddingston House Properties Limited to end up with planning permission on the Royal High School site, it would mean that no listed building, complex of buildings, or site, whether in the heart of a World Heritage Site or not, would be safe.

If you are able to help support our national campaign to protect the Royal High School for an appropriate future use,

Please see the attached document.

 

We are most grateful for any support that you are able to give.

If you have any queries, do please get in touch.

Kind regards,

Michael Davis
National Chairman, AHSS

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